Shakira

Shakira
Shakira at the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2023
Born
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

(1977-02-02) 2 February 1977 (age 47)
Barranquilla, Colombia
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • dancer
  • actress
  • philanthropist
Years active1990–present
OrganizationBarefoot Foundation
Works
Partners
Children2
Awards
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Websiteshakira.com

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (/ʃəˈkɪərə/ shə-KEER, Spanish: [ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol]; born 2 February 1977),[1] known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter.[2] Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music"[3] and has been praised for her musical versatility.[4] She made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence in Hispanic countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). She entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes", the album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc. described Shakira as a "pioneer" who extended the global reach of Latino singers.[5] In 2022, MTV included her in the list of "The Most Influential Women in the History of Music", being the only Latina on the list.[6]

Her success was further solidified with the Spanish-language albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were certified diamond (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her English-language albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009), and Shakira (2014) were all certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. Some of her songs have reached number-one on the charts in multiple countries, including "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Whenever, Wherever", "La Tortura", "Hips Don't Lie", "Beautiful Liar", "She Wolf", "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", "Loca", "Rabiosa", "Can't Remember to Forget You", "Dare (La La La)", "Chantaje", "Te Felicito", "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53", and "TQG". Outside of music, Shakira served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013–2014), had a voice role in the animated film Zootopia (2016), and executive produced and judged the dance competition series Dancing with Myself (2022).

One of the most influential female artists of the 21st century, Shakira has been credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists.[7][8] With over 100 million records sold worldwide, she is one of the world's best-selling musicians.[9] She is the best-selling female Latin artist of all time, as of 2023, according to Billboard.[10] Noted to be a "global phenom" whose impact has "reached every corner of the world", Shakira has been described as an "artistic link between the west and the east" for popularizing Middle Eastern sounds in the West, and western sounds in the East (mainly the Middle East).[11][12] Due to her heritage as a Colombian of Lebanese descent, she is perceived as particularly influential for Latino and Middle-Eastern musicians,[13] and has been noted for introducing musical genres, instruments, and techniques from across Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions to a wider audience.[14] Shakira is also credited with popularising music in the Spanish language on a global level.[15]

She has received numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards, fourteen Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards (including the 2023 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award), seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, twenty-one Guinness World Records, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade by Billboard twice (2000s and 2010s).[16][17] For her philanthropic work with her Barefoot Foundation and her contributions to music she received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011. She was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the United States in 2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.

  1. ^ "Shakira: Singer (1977–)". Biography. A&E Networks. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ Shakira – Shakira | Credits, AllMusic, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 1 June 2020
  3. ^ Multiple sources:
  4. ^ Multiple sources:
  5. ^ "Shakira". BMI. 30 April 2000. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Las mujeres más influyentes de la historia de la música". MTV (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ^ "21 of the Most Influential Women Musicians of the 21st Century". Kiss 95.1. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. ^ Multiple sources:
  9. ^ Piper-Shimizu, Stephane (26 September 2017). "Shakira". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  10. ^ Billboard Staff (24 April 2023). "Shakira es la Mujer del Año de la gala inaugural Mujeres Latinas en la Música de Billboard". Billboard (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Powerful Women 2020". Forbes Colombia. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Shakira Mebarak, el nexo artístico entre oriente y occidente". El Correo del Golfo. 27 June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  13. ^ ""Shakira es una amenaza: influye en el público de todo el mundo" – elEconomista.es". www.eleconomista.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  14. ^ Ricaurte, Ana Bejarano. "LA GRAN COLOMBIANA – Ana Bejarano Ricaurte | Los Danieles". cambiocolombia.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Así ha cambiado Shakira: Desde 'Pies descalzos' hasta su ruptura con Gerard Piqué". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 7 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Chart-topper Solis named Latin artist of the decade". Reuters. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Top Latin Artists – Decade-End". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.